I am sorry but 5 seasons of GP2 is not impressive; I dont rate Davide very highly(because he spent 5 seasons in GP2 to get a championship) but this is his shot. if he finishes top 5, he might make a believer out of me.

Didn’t it take van der Garde 4 seasons to get a highest position of 5th in GP2? van der Garde has impressed people in his first year, so I don’t see why you’re pre judging Valsecchi on how long it took him to win a GP2 championship. Jacques Villeneuve won a championship in his second year in F1 does that make him better than Vettel who took 4 years to win the championship.

van der Garde kept in contention for the title in 2011 for a long time and won the Formula Renault 3.5 title before, though. While I don’t think VDG has that much more talent than Davide, he isn’t exactly racing for Lotus either.

Its been along time since that WSR championship. I guess drivers dont have anything better to do than go around tracks in GP2 until they get an F1 drive after that – but 4 years in GP2 without finishing higher than 5th in the championship? ouch. Took 5 wins in 4 years.

I rate VDG very lowly, actually. I rate young drivers on how long it took them to get a podium, win a race, and win a championship in the lower formulae. VDG rates so low because he was what, 6th in GP2? A win or two, yeah. I dont know how who he has impressed; certainly not me. He whines on the radio alot, gets in some crashes, not sure why anyone rates him highly. He might be better than Pic, but then again so is half the GP2 field this year.

Hekoheko…
You’ll just wait’n see.
Every F1 driver has a back pain (disorder in spinal column). It’s ’cause G-forces and no dampening material between kerbs and the drivers back. Only the molded fibrecarbon layer between asphald and the butt. Some wood in between…

To my mind, this sounds like the Quantum deal is falling through. In front of their home race, Quantum was all “our side of the deal is done”, and “we will pay Kimi’s salary”, and “we will clear the team’s debt.” Eric Bouillier said he hoped to confirm the deal on Tuesday, but we haven’t heard anything yet. In the meantime, it looks as if Kimi has lost faith and decided to focus on 2014. If he really believed he would get 12 million euros (or whatever he is owed) by driving the final two races, I am sure he would have.

As for the final two races, I’m really looking forward to seeing a different (maybe even new) driver in the second Lotus, whoever they field. It’s an interesting new twist in an F1 season that can use some spicing up.

Maybe Lotus could get some last minute US Companies to invest if they sign Alex Rossi.
He has talent. He might not be the best choice for finishing the last two races ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari, or has the experience of Hulkenberg, but having an American racing the whole Weekend in Austin could bring in some last minute investment and help them get the money needed.

Kimi has the right to say that he gets to sit out the US and Brazil, A. He wasn’t paid the whole year, so basically did it as a volenteer, B. He did a fantastic job both last year and this year, you would’ve thought that Schumacher would’ve been a front runner, but no. He retired something like 6 or 7 races. And Kimi was third last year in his first F1 season after 5 or so years away, so I think he has the right to heal himself for the job of going to Ferrari. So Lotus have nothing to complain about, if it weren’t for Romain and Kimi being so competitive in a car that isn’t like the Ferrari and the Red Bulls and even the Mercs, they’d just be another backmarker team